Attention A T users. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps.
1. Please switch auto forms mode to off.
2. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc).
3. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow.
You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links.

A Veteran and VA employee from the Providence VAMC, who wishes to remain anonymous, voluntarily enrolled in the VA's Million Veteran Program, in which participants donate blood from which DNA is extracted. Baseline and periodic follow-up surveys track Veterans' military, health and lifestyle experiences over time. Samples and data used are coded to protect participants' identification and privacy.

Researchers believe information contained in the database could hold the key to preventing and treating diseases, both in Veterans and in the general population. The program, which was launched in 2011, now has more than 500,000 participants nationwide. The Providence VAMC has been participating since May 2016.

"This is a perfect example of how Veterans continue to serve our nation," said Dr. Susan MacKenzie, director of the Providence VA Medical Center. "Their participation in this program has the potential to save lives and improve medical care for generations to come."

Research using MVP data is already underway, studying a wide range of medical issues, such as mental illness, and heart and kidney diseases. For more information about MVP, including how to participate, visit www.research.va.gov/MVP/, or call 866-441-6075.

Photo caption (photo available upon request):Joy McKenzie, a U.S. Navy Veteran and Pawtucket, R.I., resident, reviews documentation after enrolling in the Million Veteran Program at the Providence VA Medical Center Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. McKenzie's enrollment followed that of the 500th Veteran participant at the Providence VAMC earlier that day. (Providence VA Medical Center photo by Winfield Danielson)